ptr1: Above the Structures
Concrete Cut

From the Warsaw, Poland-based digital label Concrete Cut recordings comes the debut solo release from ptr1 who draws inspiration for his gritty material from his central Poland riverside hometown of Plock. The five originals on Above the Structures offer a clear impression of the producer-DJ's dusty take on dubstep, while remixes by Shoju and Teielte lend added appeal to the thirty-five-minute release.

Elements of dub, garage, and techno intertwine during the brooding, Scuba-styled opener “Riverside Dub,” after which “Comatose” plunges us into heavily atmospheric territory trawled by the likes of Burial, a crackled-soaked landscape dotted with deep bass pulses, ululating moans, and melting chords. “Falling” resides at the bleepier, techno end of the spectrum, rolling out as it does a svelte house vibe in its insistent swing. During the EP's go-to cut “Cold,” which pulsates with such rhythmic snap it could make Burial jealous, a robust dub bass line anchors the swizzling hi-hats and mournful vocal moans that otherwise catch one's ear, before a chiming IDM melody inexplicably rises from the grave to give the track an altogether different character. The title track continues down a similar road in merging bright IDM patterns with late-night groovesmithing. On the remix tip, Warsaw-based duo Shoju retain the brooding character of “Riverside Dub” but sprinkle it with electric guitar shadings that nudge it towards post-rock, while Teielte gets the highest marks for bringing glitch-hop thunder to a mighty “Cold” overhaul.

January 2011